Startup Turns Coal Country Into Agricultural Hub

AppHarvest/Facebook

Those in the United States can thank AppHarvest startup for bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to a nearby grocery store – all while saving water and energy! In fact, the startup is turning coal country into a massive agricultural hub!

Revolutionary Company AppHarvest

AppHarvest/Facebook

AppHarvest, a Kentucky-based startup, has been rising in popularity recently, and it’s not hard to see why! The company uses technology that saves space, recycles water, and produces 30 times more food than a conventional farm. That’s right! Not only that, but the tech helps the team grow vegetables and fruits all year-round – 45 million pounds of chemical pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. Located in Morehead, Kentucky, AppHarvest even attracted the attention of the one and only Martha Stewart.

“AppHarvest’s high-tech, sustainable approach is the future of food, and this first harvest allows us to provide consumers with chemical pesticide-free, nutrient-rich, flavorful produce that’s making a difference they can feel good about,” said Martha Stewart. “I’ve been testing the early sample tomatoes, which are delicious, and I’m already looking forward to integrating them into my kitchen and recipes this year.”

The story of how AppHarvest, and why they’ve located where they have, is incredible: it plans to turn coal country into one of the world’s biggest agricultural hubs!

Startup That Changes Farming

AppHarvest/Facebook

Today, AppHarvest has farms in multiple parts of Kentucky, including both Appalachia and the city of Morehead. However, it all started with one farm – as most agriculture companies do. CEO and founder Jonathan Webb created AppHarvest back in 2017, after visiting the Netherlands and seeing their high-tech greenhouses. Meanwhile, Webb not only chose Kentucky because of a family connection – he’s from the area – but also, from that location, the company can reach just under 70% of the U.S. population in 24 hours or less.

Plus, as the coal industry continues to lose its footing globally, Webb hopes they can replace those jobs with green ones! “We are determined to build a climate-resilient infrastructure to offer folks a delicious tomato that is sustainably grown right here in Appalachia with 100% recycled rainwater and zero chemical pesticides, making it better for both them and the environment,” said Webb.

Now, just four years later, AppHarvest has started working with grocery chains like Walmart and Kroger, as well as fast-food giants like Wendy’s. That’s not all! The company is helping the youth understand farming and technology more…

Introducing Agriculture To The Youth

Kimberly Keagy/WSAZ

Now, AppHarvest has started opening farms at Kentucky high schools, inside of retrofitted shipping containers. The company hopes to help students grow their food, as well as understand the importance of fruits and vegetables in their lives. The Elliott County High School container farm, for example, has space for 2,760 seedlings and 2,960 mature plants.

“This is exciting. Some students who might not like to get in the dirt have a different way of growing vegetables,” said Garret Barker, president of Elliot County chapter of the National Future Farmers of America Organization. “It’s different than my farm at home. It doesn’t depend on outside factors like the rain. It’s all controlled by an app.”

So far, AppHarvest has received $1 billion from sponsors and donators. The team hopes to use this money to manufacture at least 12 more farms by 2025. We wish them luck!

Sources: Fresh Plaza, Good News Network.